Written Answers Thursday 15 September 2005

Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18057 by Cathy Jamieson on 18 August 2005, whether the criteria for police issuing written warnings to children is standard across police forces and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Cathy Jamieson: Matters of operational procedure are for Chief Constables to decide rather than the Scottish Executive. The range of disposals can include a warning from a senior police officer, a police restorative warning, referral to the Children’s Panel, or in serious cases, a report to the Procurator Fiscal. The reporter to the Children’s Panel is normally consulted in all cases.

  It is important when dealing with children to consider each case on its merits so that an appropriate response can be made. Applying a set of fixed criteria for written warnings would run contrary to this.

  The Executive produced guidelines in June 2004 on the use of Police Restorative Warnings by the Police, supported by £500,000 over two years to fund implementation. Chief Officers are committed to replacing the senior police officer warning across Scotland with restorative warnings by April 2006.

Ambulance Service

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how often the air ambulance service has been used to transport patients to the accident and emergency units at (a) Ayr and (b) Crosshouse hospital in each of the last five years.

Mr Andy Kerr: The number of air ambulance missions to Ayr Hospital and Crosshouse Hospital are recorded in the following table:

  

Year
Ayr Hospital
Crosshouse Hospital


2001-02
15
59


2002-03
29
108


2003-04
11
54


2004-05
12
41


2005-06 (April to Aug 2006)
6
19


Total
73
281



  It should be noted that it is not possible to identify the exact receiving unit within the hospitals to which the patient was taken.

Bridges

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to build a second road crossing over the Forth at South Queensferry.

Tavish Scott: None.

Concessionary Travel

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money is being allocated to the young persons concessionary travel scheme in each of the next four years.

Tavish Scott: The Partnership Agreement commits the Executive to introduce a scheme of national bus, rail and ferry concessionary travel for young people. We will announce the details, including costs, shortly.

Council Tax

Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that council tax levels are maintained at a reasonable level.

Mr Tom McCabe: The setting of council tax levels is, of course, a matter for local authorities. However, we have repeatedly said that we expects councils to keep council tax rises to reasonable levels – that remains the case and we will be discussing the situation with them.

Crime

Campbell Martin (West of Scotland) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what the rates of crime involving the illegal importation, cultivation, supply or possession of drugs have been in the North Ayrshire local authority area in each year since 2002-03.

Cathy Jamieson: The available information on the number of these crimes recorded by the police is given in the following table.

  Number of Drug Crimes Recorded by the Police in North Ayrshire, 2002-03 and 2003-04

  

 
2002-03
2003-04


Illegal importation of drugs
0
0


Illegal cultivation of drugs
3
9


Possession of drugs with intent to supply
267
231


Possession of drugs
756
892


Drugs, other offences
20
8


Total
1,046
1,140

Drug Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what treatment choices, other than a methadone programme, are available to drug addicts to help them lead a drug-free lifestyle.

Hugh Henry: Decisions on treatment interventions and options for addressing other needs are made locally by patients and their medical and social care professionals and depend on individual circumstances.

  The treatment process to help individuals sustain drug-free lives can involve a wide range of interventions in both community and residential settings. These may often be offered in combination with each other and include: residential crisis/respite care; residential rehabilitation; community rehabilitation; self-help programmes, and detoxification services.

Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what detailed analysis was carried out prior to the decision to withdraw up to 20 vocationally-based Highers and Advanced Highers from the school year beginning in 2006.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has a statutory responsibility to keep under review and to develop its qualifications portfolio. SQA has developed a set of criteria for reviewing "low uptake" subjects – this policy has been endorsed by the National Qualifications Steering Group which is made up of representatives from across the educational sector. A summary of this policy is available to download from SQA’s website ( www.sqa.org.uk ) – this outlines the criteria and sets out the position on retaining courses which have particular cultural, economic, social or political value.

  The SQA has not yet made any announcement concerning the withdrawal of specific National Courses. However, it is anticipated that SQA will shortly be communicating with all centres which deliver courses to provide an update on the development of the catalogue of national courses. This letter will explain how SQA intends to develop a dynamic portfolio of qualifications which meet the needs of Scottish learners.

Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what detailed analysis was carried out prior to the decision to offer within the school system the vocationally-based Highers and Advanced Highers which are now being withdrawn and whether this analysis identified a demand.

Peter Peacock: The current system of National Qualifications was introduced by the Higher Still Development Programme in 1999, and involved extensive consultation with stakeholders from across the educational spectrum. The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has not yet made any announcement concerning the withdrawal of specific National Courses. However, it is anticipated that the SQA will shortly be communicating with all centres to provide an update on the development of the catalogue of National Courses. This letter will explain how SQA intends to develop a dynamic portfolio of qualifications which meet the needs of Scottish learners.

Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources and facilities were made available to schools and teachers to teach the vocationally-based Highers and Advanced Highers that are now being withdrawn.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the subjects previously offered in the vocationally based Highers and Advanced Highers now being withdrawn will be taught within any other Higher or Advanced Highers offered in schools.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Qualifications Agency (SQA) has not yet made any announcement concerning the withdrawal of specific National Courses. However, it is anticipated that the SQA will shortly be communicating with all centres to provide an update on the development of the catalogue of National Courses. This letter will explain how the SQA intends to develop a dynamic portfolio of qualifications which meet the needs of Scottish learners.

Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation there has been with industry and further education colleges prior to the withdrawal of vocationally-based Highers and Advanced Highers.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Qualifications Authority’s (SQA) low uptake policy has been agreed by key strategic groups (such as the National Qualifications Steering Group, the SQA Qualifications Committee and the SQA Advisory Council) which include representatives from industry and the further education sector. The SQA has not yet made any announcement concerning the withdrawal of specific National Courses. However, it is anticipated that the SQA will shortly be communicating with all centres to provide an update on the development of the catalogue of National Courses. This letter will explain how the SQA intends to develop a dynamic portfolio of qualifications which meet the needs of Scottish learners.

Education

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were trained as (a) English, (b) mathematics and (c) physics teachers in each year since 1999.

Peter Peacock: The following table shows the number of Postgraduate Certificate in Education student teacher entrants with the main subject of (a) English, (b) mathematics and (c) physics in each year since 1999:

  

 
1998-99
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06


English
160
140
125
150
125
160
280
365


Mathematics
90
105
60
85
90
135
270
250


Physics
35
35
30
40
35
45
60
90



  Sources: 1998-1999 to 2003-2004 Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). 2004-05 and 2005-06 Scottish Executive Education Department figures collected from higher education institutions.

  Notes:

  1. In this table 0, 1 and 2 are rounded to 0. All other numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest 5.

  2. 2005-06 data is provisional as it is acceptances on the courses that started in August 2005.

Education

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a limit on the number of English, mathematics or physics secondary school teachers trained each year and, if so, whether this limit is due to financial constraints.

Peter Peacock: There is no limit.

Employment

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that active labour market policies are tailored to provide opportunities for people who are excluded from the workplace.

Allan Wilson: While the UK Government is responsible for employment policy on jobsearch and support, the Executive has a range of policies in skills and lifelong learning, regeneration, health, child care, advice and information services which can help individuals’ employment prospects. In support of the Closing the Opportunity approach to tackling poverty, the Executive will launch an Employability Framework later this year, aimed at increasing the chances of sustained employment for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific alternative models to the tender of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services it discussed with the European Commissioner for Transport on 18 July 2005.

Tavish Scott: Discussions between member states and the Commission are private and inform internal discussion and advice. Such communications are not normally made public and are exempt from disclosure under section 32(1)(a)(ii) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

  The Scottish Executive considered a number of proposals for alternatives to tendering, some of which were put forward by other parties. These alternatives are set out in the document Clyde And Hebrides Lifeline Ferry Services - Scottish Executive’s Consideration Of The Requirement To Tender which was published on 12 September 2005.

  As stated in Parliament these have all been discussed with the European Commission.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the establishment of an independent task force to examine the future of Clyde and Hebrides ferry services and, if so, what decision was reached.

Tavish Scott: The Executive’s consideration of the requirement to tender the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services is set out in the document Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services : Scottish Executive’s Consideration of the Requirement to Tender which was published on 12 September 2005. This issue was debated in the Scottish Parliament on 14 September 2005.

  The Executive is clear that the best way to protect the vital lifeline Clyde and Hebrides ferry services in line with Scottish ministers policy objectives and to meet the requirements of EU rules is to tender a Public Service Contract for the network of services currently operated by CalMac. The Executive does not consider it appropriate to establish a task force to review that decision.

Ferry Services

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the proposed level of subsidy is in respect of the new Northern Isles ferry tender.

Tavish Scott: The level of grant available for the next Northern Isles ferry service contract will be set following the outcome of the competitive tendering process currently in progress.

Ferry Services

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new tender for the Northern Isles ferry service will include a subsidy for livestock or freight to travel across the Pentlands Firth.

Tavish Scott: The Invitation to Tender issued on 19 July 2005 invited three companies to tender for a grant to operate passenger and vehicle ferry services between the Scottish mainland and the Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands. Section 3.2 of the Invitation to Tender set out the minimum service requirement, which includes a service across the Pentland Firth between Scrabster and Stromness. The Invitation to Tender also set out in sections 3.9 and 3.10 the requirement for freight, which encompasses livestock, to be included within the tender, as part of the Executive’s policy of securing this lifeline ferry route for the benefit of the islands.

Ferry Services

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a ferry service used to carry sheep from Orkney to Caithness will be given a livestock subsidy.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive supports a ferry service between Caithness and the Orkney Islands as part of a grant awarded following a competitive tender process under European Union rules and guidelines. The current Invitation to Tender for the Northern Isles ferry service includes a requirement for freight, which encompasses livestock, on the route between Scrabster and Stromness, as part of the Executive’s policy of securing this lifeline ferry route for the benefit of the islands. The Executive has no plans to support any additional ferry services on the Orkney to Caithness route to meet a similar requirement.

Ferry Services

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a ferry crossing from Orkney to Caithness would be preferable to a crossing from Orkney to Aberdeen in respect of animal welfare.

Tavish Scott: In terms of animal welfare during transportation there are a number of factors which need to be taken into consideration, such as the length of the total journey (not just the sea crossing) and the conditions in which the animals are housed during the journey. Livestock transported from Orkney are housed in Goods and Livestock Transporters which give the animals considerably more space than livestock vehicles and the road journey from Aberdeen is likely to be considerably shorter than that from Caithness. There is no evidence to suggest that sea journeys are particularly stressful and it is generally recognised that the most stressful time for animals is during loading and unloading. Provided those involved in the transport of animals comply with the requirements of the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997, animal welfare problems should not arise during sea transport.

Fertility Services

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that couples currently seeking infertility treatment under the NHS in Argyll and Clyde continue to have access to infertility services following the dissolution of NHS Argyll and Clyde in March 2006.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assurance it will give that couples currently on the waiting list for infertility treatment under the NHS in Argyll and Clyde will not have to wait any longer for their treatment when NHS Argyll and Clyde is dissolved in March 2006.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that couples who are currently unable to be referred for infertility treatment under the NHS in Argyll and Clyde because the female partner is over 35 will become eligible for referral following the dissolution of NHS Argyll and Clyde in March 2006.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assurance it will give that couples currently seeking infertility treatment under the NHS in Argyll and Clyde will have access to the full three cycles of IVF or ICSI treatment recommended by the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility in Scotland when they are transferred to another NHS board following the dissolution of NHS Argyll and Clyde in March 2006.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the transfer of couples seeking infertility treatment under the NHS in Argyll and Clyde will have on couples waiting for treatment in the (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and (b) NHS Highland areas following the dissolution of NHS Argyll and Clyde in March 2006.

Lewis Macdonald: The framework for the provision of assisted conception treatments through the NHS is currently set out in the report of the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland (EAGISS) 1999. Progress in adopting EAGISS has been made across Scotland, though I am aware of some remaining disparities in accessing these services. That is why I launched a consultation on the 8 September, seeking views on the future delivery of these services. A copy of this document can be found at www.scotland.gov.uk . Following this consultation the Executive will issue further guidance to NHS Scotland for planning the provision of infertility services by NHS boards.

  It is too early to assess the impact of boundary changes on individual treatments following the dissolution of NHS Argyll and Clyde in March 2006. I expect that our revised guidance on infertility will improve access to these services across all NHS boards.

Fertility Services

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cycles of IVF and ICSI treatment are currently funded by (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and (b) NHS Highland and whether frozen embryos are included in each cycle.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not held centrally.

Firearms

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many air weapons have been handed in to the police since the airgun hand-in scheme was introduced in March this year.

Cathy Jamieson: Nine hundred and thirteen air weapons were handed in during the scheme, which ran from 10 March to 3 June 2005.

Football

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support the East Football Project and other initiatives to encourage people of all ages to play football.

Patricia Ferguson: We are not involved with the East Football Project but we and  sportscotland are supporting the SFA’s 10 year Action Plan for Youth Football. A key objective of that plan is encouraging increased participation by young people and their continued involvement as they reach adulthood. Other Executive initiatives such as the Active Schools also help to encourage participation in football for boys and girls.

General Practitioners

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms are in place to measure the public benefit of the new GP contracts.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are a number of mechanisms already in place and being developed to measure the public benefit of the new General Medical Services (GMS) contract.

  1. The national Pay Modernisation Team has developed an NHS Scotland-wide nGMS Implementation Tool to measure NHS boards’ progress in delivering the GMS contract. The information from this process is fed into the NHS board annual review process and action plans at both local and national level are being developed to address any issues from this which will improve delivery of services under the GMS contract to the public.

  2. Pay Modernisation Delivery Plans being submitted by NHS boards provide an opportunity to assess benefits and to ensure key issues are addressed both locally and nationally.

  3. The Quality and Outcomes Framework provides a comprehensive set of quality indicators that measure standard of quality care provided to patients and organisational achievements.

  4. NHS QIS has produced standards for the provision of safe and effective out-of-hours primary medical services to the public and these are evaluated to ensure they meet the required levels .

  5. Service specifications of enhanced services require providers to submit information to their NHS boards to support clinical and financial governance frameworks.

  6. NHS boards continue to develop systems to identify the impact of provision of enhanced services to patients and the general public.

  7. The performance of the GMS contract, including the delivery of patient benefits, is also discussed as part of the annual review for each NHS board.

General Practitioners

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits to public health have been achieved through the new GP contracts.

Mr Andy Kerr: The continuation of high-level achievement in meeting the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) standards and providing additional services through the nGMS Contract provides positive benefits for the quality of the lives of many people across Scotland.

  For Example:

  Practices are rewarded for developing registers for patients with each of 10 chronic diseases and to show evidence of high-quality care of these conditions. Systematic call and recall of these patients is integral to this process, so that patients can be monitored and treated in accordance with expert guidance to optimise their care and prevent complications, minimising the need for referral to secondary care. Good chronic disease management is likely to reduce un-scheduled admissions to hospital.

  The QOF improves and encourages screening for all patients by incentivising up-to-date information about blood pressure, smoking status and past medical history so that patients in need of interventions can be targeted. It continues to incentivises practices to conduct cervical screening (smear tests) and to screen children in accordance with guidance.

  Enhanced services for flu and pneumococcal immunisation and for childhood immunisations, as well as the QOF, encourage practices to invite those eligible for these programmes for the appropriate intervention.

Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to evaluate the impact of the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) on (a) prescribing, (b) "postcode prescribing" and (c) the differential uptake of medicines by NHS boards.

Mr Andy Kerr: A programme for the evaluation of SMC work has been agreed and the work will commence in October 2005. The evaluation will look at the impact of SMC advice on the use of medicines across the healthcare system and compare SMC budget impact forecasts with the actual use of NHS resources. The work will also support the linking of clinical information with that on medicines use to help monitor the effectiveness of medicines in day-to-day patient care. A report is expected by the end of 2007.

Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated savings through improvements in prescribing are for (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2007-08 (a) in total and (b) broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: The target efficiency savings under the Efficient Government programme are as follows. The targets shown are the cumulative savings to be achieved in the year indicated by reference to the benchmark year of 2004-05.

  Target Prescribing Efficiency Savings 2005-08 by Health Board

  

Health Board
2005-06 (£000)
2006-07 (£000)
2007-08 (£000)


Argyll and Clyde
425
850
1,702


Ayrshire and Arran
395
790
1,579


Borders
106
212
424


Dumfries and Galloway
158
316
633


Fife
342
684
1,369


Forth Valley
276
552
1,104


Grampian
458
917
1,834


Greater Glasgow
916
1833
3,667


Highland
209
418
837


Lanarkshire
542
1084
2,171


Lothian
699
1399
2,798


Orkney
18
37
74


Shetland
19
38
77


Tayside
401
803
1,607


Western Isles
31
62
124


Total
4,995
9,995
20,000

Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation has taken place by (a) its Health Department and (b) NHS boards in respect of savings through improvements in prescribing by adopting best practice and decreasing inappropriate prescribing.

Mr Andy Kerr: During the preparation of its report on GP prescribing issued in June 2003, Audit Scotland consulted closely with NHS board prescribing leads and other interested parties and produced evidence based recommendations for more efficient prescribing which, were accepted by the Executive and which NHS boards and prescribers continue to pursue.

  In February 2005 the Executive invited NHS boards to advise their proposals for on-going savings through more effective prescribing in the context of the savings targets within the Efficient Government initiative.

  NHS boards are in continuous dialogue with prescribers to adopt best prescribing practice and reduce inappropriate prescribing.

Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards are in place to ensure that any financial savings made through improvements in prescribing do not reduce service provision or impact on the quality of clinical care for patients.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS board prescribing strategies seek to ensure more effective use of prescribing budgets. They are evidence based and reflect agreed clinical guidelines. They lead to savings in the use of some drugs and more intensive use of other therapies, where that has the potential to improve patient care. Savings in prescribing budgets remain within the NHS board concerned for reinvestment in patient care.

Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale is for the development of local plans by NHS boards to implement financial savings through improvements in prescribing.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS boards were advised in February 2005 to draft local plans to deliver their share of the savings identified in the Efficient Government initiative related to more effective prescribing for the period 2005-08. A co-ordinating national plan has now been issued and it is for NHS boards to review local plans on a regular basis to ensure that they continue to be relevant and effective.

Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what further steps it will take to ensure greater national consistency in prescribing practices.

Mr Andy Kerr: Local prescribing behaviour should be in line with clinical guidelines which are set nationally. Implementation of guidance is a matter for NHS boards and individual clinicians in the light of the clinical need of individual patients.

  There are also national initiatives which will encourage national consistency in prescribing behaviour such as the evidence based prescribing elements of the Quality and Outcomes Framework in the new GP contract, a greater role for community pharmacists in medicines provision for those with chronic conditions, and improved decision support for prescribers through enhanced IT.

Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to conduct a review of generic prescribing and, if so, what the timetable is for the review.

Mr Andy Kerr: The effective use of generic medicines is under constant review.

  In its June 2003 report on GP prescribing, Audit Scotland recognised that the potential benefits of further generic prescribing were at that time marginal. NHS boards and individual prescribers continue however to target savings as generic copies become available for branded products newly out of patent protection.

  The Executive also took steps during 2004-05 to ensure that NHS Scotland achieved better value from purchases of generic drugs used in Primary Care, and new reimbursement arrangements in respect of generic drugs are currently being phased in.

Housing

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many eviction applications have been made by Glasgow Housing Association since the completion of the Glasgow housing stock transfer.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The total number of eviction actions raised by Glasgow Housing Association since the Glasgow housing stock transfer stands at 5,900.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what definition of community ownership it uses in respect of community-owned housing.

Malcolm Chisholm: I would refer the member to the definition which was given to the Social Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector Committee in September 2000 by the then Minister for Communities, Wendy Alexander.

  Community ownership is a way of empowering tenants, maximising the total resources available for investment in public sector housing and securing additional benefits for the wider community. Community ownership would normally result from the transfer of existing public sector rented housing to alternative community landlords at a price which reflects the value of the stock and under arrangements which ensure that:

  The housing is owned by a non-profit-making body on which there is tenant, local authority and community representation;

  There is effective tenant involvement in key decisions;

  Housing is available, and continues to be available, to be let at affordable rents to those in housing need, including the homeless and other vulnerable groups, and

  There are guarantees for transferring tenants regarding rent increases, tenancy rights and repairs and improvements to the stock.

  I believe that definition is still relevant today.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to institute a statutory right of secondary transfer for former council house properties which have been transferred under whole stock transfer.

Malcolm Chisholm: We have no plans to institute a statutory right of secondary transfer for former council properties which have been transferred under whole stock transfer.

Marine Environment

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional protection is needed in respect of the marine environment; what impact such protection would have on the fishing industry, and who would be asked to assess that impact.

Ross Finnie: On 12 September 2005 the Scottish Executive published Seas the Opportunity – A Strategy for the Long Term Sustainability of Scotland’s Coasts and Seas. Copies of the strategy document have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 37466) and it is available on the Scottish Executive’s website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/publications/2005/08/26102453/25444.

  Our marine and coastal environments remain at potential risk from water borne pollution, sea-bed disturbance, habitat loss, disturbance to sea life and declining stocks of some fish species. While action is already in hand to address these risks, often through sector specific strategies, we need to do more to assess and deal with cumulative and cross-sectoral impacts to provide for improved protection of the environment in a way which means longer term socio-economic need. The new strategy will determine what specific new measure might be needed to achieve that.

  The impacts of any new measures that arise from the strategy will be considered initially by the new stakeholder group which will comprise representatives from a range of sectors, including fisheries. In addition, the interests of the fishing sector are being addressed through specific strategies for both inshore and sea fisheries, both of which are set within the wider context of the new marine and coastal strategy.

  The fishing sector, among others, is also being consulted fully on the work I have commissioned from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to identify potential candidate sites for Scotland’s first coastal and marine national park. The stakeholder group for the marine and coastal strategy will make an input to SNH’s assessment which I expect to receive by March 2006.

Museums and Galleries

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in implementing the proposed significance recognition scheme for non-national museums and galleries.

Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Museums Council has consulted its members and other interested parties on arrangements for the proposed Significance Recognition Scheme for non-national museums and galleries. The council is considering the responses and will report its findings to the Executive on how the scheme might be implemented.

NHS Hospitals

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many operations have been carried out in Inverclyde Royal Hospital in each year since 1999, broken down by type of operation.

Mr Andy Kerr: The number of principal operations carried out on an in-patient and day case basis in Inverclyde Royal Hospital by operation type are shown in the table. Nationally collected information about out-patient procedures performed is a relatively new development and is incomplete at present.

  It should also be noted that clinical practice has changed significantly in a number of specialties between 1999 and 2004. Many procedures that may have been carried out as in-patient or day case procedures in 1999 are now carried out as out-patient procedures or even performed in health centres by primary care clinicians. As such, direct comparisons of hospital in-patient and day case procedure activity may not be representative of the total change in NHS activity undertaken over the given period.

  Number of Principal Operations Carried Out in Inverclyde Royal Hospital

  

 
Number of Principal Operations


1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004


Total Principal Operations
12,622
12,307
13,620
13,974
15,084
15,726


Operation on:
 


Arteries and veins 
417
328
307
342
345
362


Bones and joints of skull and spine 
64
62
70
55
80
101


Ear 
150
156
133
126
132
128


Endocrine system and breast 
174
176
176
164
204
238


Eye 
921
939
1,114
1,050
1,125
1,118


Heart 
359
328
349
563
699
804


Lower digestive tract 
1,465
1,356
1,652
1,552
1,618
1,674


Lower female genital tract 
135
116
128
111
84
54


Male genital organs 
315
283
285
313
321
296


Miscellaneous operations 
1,167
1,423
2,065
2,731
3,547
3,976


Mouth 
82
95
117
106
174
200


Nervous system 
327
313
313
249
236
236


Other abdominal organs - principally digestive 
220
262
327
336
296
367


Other bones and joints 
1,206
1,070
991
1,180
1,372
1,345


Respiratory tract 
467
394
390
410
340
380


Skin 
1,235
1,071
1,051
702
749
696


Soft tissue 
614
635
614
719
696
806


Upper digestive tract 
1,304
1,352
1,506
1,464
1,304
1,333


Upper female genital tract 
923
890
864
703
667
472


Urinary 
1,077
1,058
1,168
1,098
1095
1140



  Source: ISD Scotland

  Ref: IR2005-02819

  Notes:

  1. In-patient/day case surgical activity is captured on SMR01, derived from in-patient/day case discharges from non-obstetric, non psychiatric specialties.

  2. Procedures and operations are defined using the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys Classification of Surgical Operations and Procedures Fourth Revision (OPCS4).

  3. The information given relates to the calendar years 1999 through to 2004. However, due to the transactional nature of central databases (i.e. records are continually being added) this information could be subject to minor future change.

  4. From April 2003 the national reporting of surgical activity in out-patients has been required and ISD has been working with NHS boards to develop full compliance nationally. Comprehensive information on out-patient surgical activity is not yet available but indicative information on common out-patient procedures is available at http://www.isdscotland.org/data_development in section Changing Clinical Practices: Changing Data.

  5. The figures above relate to principal operation only. Patients may have more than one operation performed during their episode in hospital.

NHS Services

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards have provided sleep services in each year since 1999 and what type of service each board has provided.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been on waiting lists for sleep services in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been sent outwith their own NHS board area for sleep services in each year since 1999, broken down by board area.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which treatment centres have provided sleep services to patients outwith their own NHS board area in each year since 1999 and how many such patients each centre has treated.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally.

NHS Staff

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many orthopaedic surgeons are employed and how many vacancies there are in each NHS board area.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS Scotland employed 146.6WTE (whole-time equivalent) Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery Consultants at September 2004. This represents an increase of 10.6WTE consultants since September 1999. The vacancy rate for vacancies over six months has remained stable over 2003 and 2004 and is at 4.3% of the establishment.

  Information on orthopaedic consultant staff in post and vacancies in NHS Scotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at www.isdscotland.org/workforce.

  Section B gives details of all medical and dental staff employed in NHS Scotland. In particular, tables B11 and B12 show the WTE and headcount number of trauma and orthopaedic consultant staff in post and vacancies broken down by NHS board area. Latest available figures are at 30 September 2004.

NHS Waiting Times

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is confident that the six-month waiting time target for in-patient and day care treatment to be implemented from December 2005 will be achieved by orthopaedic departments.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS board chairs have assured me at the recent annual review meetings that they will deliver the six months waiting times commitment for in-patient and day case treatment by December 2005.

  NHSScotland has made excellent progress in reducing waiting times for orthopaedic surgery. The latest figures show than on 30 June 2005, only 670 patients with a guarantee had waited more than six months for in-patient or day case orthopaedic treatment. This is a 64% reduction on the position on 30 June 2004. These figures clearly show that our policies of increasing NHS capacity and using the independent health care sector are working and providing significant benefits for patients.

Non-Domestic Rates

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10335 by Mr Andy Kerr on 21 September 2004 on non-domestic rate income, whether it will publish the same table updated for each year since 1995-96, including estimates for 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.

Mr Tom McCabe: Estimated and actual non-domestic rate income (NDRI) are shown in the following table.

  

Year
Estimated NDRI (£)
Actual NDRI (£)


1995-96
1,193,000,000
1,222,135,831


1996-97
1,313,000,000
1,332,051,869


1997-98
1,326,129,000
1,327,178,743


1998-99
1,395,228,000
1,435,935,145


1999-2000
1,440,522,000
1,496,647,480


2000-01
1,510,992,000
1,577,612,309


2001-02
1,553,926,000
1,670,869,187


2002-03
1,569,817,000
1,705,090,426


2003-04
1,804,423,000
1,706,480,343



  Estimated NDRI, Source: Budget Publications.

  Actual NDRI, Source: Certified returns submitted by Local Authorities to the Scottish Executive.

  Estimates for 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 are available on page 154 of the Scottish Executive’s Draft Budget 2005-06 (Bib. number 34133).

Oil and Gas Industry

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the skills shortage affecting the North Sea oil and gas industry.

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in response to skills shortages identified in the North Sea oil and gas industry.

Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer to question S2O-6491 on 28 April 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search

  The Executive continues to discuss issues with PILOT regarding issues affecting oil and gas - including skills issues. COGENT are currently assessing the skills gap in the oil and gas industry and once that is available the Executive will consider what additional actions it can take to tackle any skills gap identified.

Planning

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to local authorities in respect of considering possible conflicts of interest when appointing consultants to assist in assessing planning applications.

Malcolm Chisholm: None. It is a matter for each council to ensure that the provisions of planning legislation have been implemented properly and with due propriety.

Police

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether armed police officers have operated patrols on Scotland’s public transport network since 7 July 2005; if so, how often, and whether this policy will continue.

Cathy Jamieson: Information relating to the frequency of armed police patrols is not held centrally. The deployment of armed officers to any incident or to provide security to any location is a matter for individual Chief Constables in accordance with an assessment of the threat posed and the available intelligence. All forces in Scotland continue to work with enforcement agencies in other parts of the UK to monitor the level of threat and risk presented by terrorist activity.

Police

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many video installations in private properties for the purposes of surveillance at the request of the police there have been in the last full year for which figures are available and how many prosecutions have resulted, broken down by police force area.

Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-18233 on 2 September 2005, in which I explained that the figures are not held in the format requested. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Police

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact any changed priorities in policing since the London bombings have had on the ability of the police to respond to domestic violence incidents or to ensure the protection of victims of domestic violence and what statistical data on the deployment of police hours it has to monitor such impact.

Cathy Jamieson: While Chief Constables may redistribute uniformed patrol resources from lower priority tasks in order to provide increased levels of security and public reassurance, they ensure that appropriate resources remain available for frontline operational policing tasks such as responding promptly to reports of domestic violence.

  Family protection work is normally undertaken by specially trained plain clothes officers who are not usually affected by any need to increase uniformed police visibility.

  Information on police deployments is not held centrally.

Police

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much is outstanding to be paid to each police force for providing security at football matches.

Cathy Jamieson: This information is not held centrally.

  Such arrangements are agreed between the football clubs and the relevant police authorities.

Poverty

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to address poverty in working-age adults without dependent children.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive’s closing the opportunity gap approach to tackling poverty applies to all of working age. In particular, the forthcoming employability framework will support targets to reduce worklessness, increase the proportion of 16 to 19-year-olds who are not in education, training or employment, and tackle aspects of in-work poverty by providing employees with the opportunity to develop skills and make progress in their career. Executive programmes also address specific problems such as homelessness. The Executive is committed to implementing the recommendations of the Homelessness Task Force, which relate to all households which are homeless or threatened with homelessness.

Prison Service

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what changes are proposed in the provision of transitional care following the experiences and evaluation of the project provided by Cranstoun Drug Services.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The evaluation found that transitional care was "reasonably effective" at linking clients with services, however it was unclear to what extent these services could have been accessed by other means. The new Throughcare Addiction Services (TAS) will now be provided by community agencies and managed by Criminal Justice Social Work Departments. This service will provide continuity of care for prisoners leaving custody who wish to go on to receive addiction services in the community in Scotland.

  Females, Young Offenders and Prisoners serving over 31 days, not subject to statutory supervision, can be considered for access to the Throughcare Addiction Service. Prisoners who are serving less than 31 days, are on remand or in prison for fine default can continue to access Voluntary Throughcare Assistance, delivered by Criminal Justice Social Work.

Prison Service

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring procedures it has put in place since Phoenix House took over the provision of transitional care on 1 August 2005.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Phoenix House have not taken over the provision of transitional care. Phoenix House will deliver enhanced casework addiction services within the prison. They will then refer prisoners with a substance misuse issue who wish support in the community to the national Throughcare Addiction Service delivered by Criminal Justice Social Work.

Prison Service

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) males and (b) females (i) on remand and (ii) having been sentenced aged over (1) 60, (2) 65 and (3) 70 formed part of the prison population in each year since 1999, in total and broken down into prisoners on remand and prisoners who have been sentenced, expressed also as a percentage of the total prison population.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information requested has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib number 37436).

Prison Service

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners over 60 have been serving a sentence of (i) less than three months, (ii) three to six months, (iii) six months to two years, (iv) two to four years, (v) four years and over excluding life and (vi) life, in each year since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information requested has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib number 37435).

Prison Service

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Statistical Bulletin: Criminal Justice Series - August 2005 , what the main crimes/offences were of (a) male and (b) female prisoners over 60 (i) on remand and (ii) having been sentenced, in each year since 1996-97, showing the total number of offences committed under each main crime/offence heading, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of crimes committed under each such heading.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information requested has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib number 37437).

Prison Service

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7663 by Angus MacKay on 20 June 2000, what fuel costs have been incurred by the Scottish Prison Service in each year since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information is as follows:

  

Year
£ Million


2000-01
2.7


2001-02
3.2


2002-03
3.2


2003-04
3.3


2004-05
3.6



  Note: the cost information above excludes fuel used in vehicles, which is not measurable separately from other vehicle costs.

Racism

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms it has to monitor whether racism is getting worse.

Malcolm Chisholm: No single measurement can monitor racism but we can begin to gain an overall picture from a range of indicators, including:

  Dialogue with the experiences of minority ethnic communities.

  The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, and other surveys which seek people’s views on discrimination, such as the pre- and post-evaluations of the One Scotland Many Cultures campaign.

  Monitoring the number of racist incidents reported to police forces (although an increase in the number recorded may not necessarily be attributable to an increase in incidents occurring, but more of a consequence of improved reporting procedures).

  Monitoring the educational attainment of minority ethnic pupils.

  Monitoring public authorities’ compliance with the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

  We are continually seeking to improve the information and monitoring available.

Rail Network

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with the project to introduce a crossrail link for Glasgow.

Tavish Scott: I understand that the results of the Glasgow Crossrail feasibility study have now been reported to Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive.

Rail Network

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has given any consideration to the possibility of cost overruns in the construction of the Waverley Line.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has made it clear that one of the conditions for its continued support for the Borders Railway is the development and delivery of a clear and comprehensive risk management strategy by the Waverley Railway Partnership.

Rail Network

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the likely cost of constructing the Waverley Line.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has reviewed the cost estimate prepared by the Waverley Railway Partnership. Independent assessments of the likely costs of constructing the Waverley Line have also been carried out.

Rail Network

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a report detailing the reasons for the increase in construction costs for the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive is commissioning a lessons learned report from the Stirling–Alloa–Kincardine project and that report will be published in due course.

Rail Network

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what implications the increase in construction costs for the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line project has for the Waverley railway line.

Tavish Scott: The increase in construction costs for the Stirling–Alloa–Kincardine railway will not impact on the funding available to support construction of the Borders railway.

Rail Network

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it applied in deciding whether to fund the increase in construction costs for the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive considered the request for additional funding on its merits and took into consideration all relevant factors including whether the scheme still represented value for money; whether the original objectives of the scheme would still be met; the extent to which the increases are due to factors that could not reasonably have been foreseen at the time of the original funding award; the ability and contractual obligations of other parties to contribute towards the cost increases; the robustness of the revised cost estimate, and the impact of the additional costs on other projects.

Rail Services

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that First ScotRail is committed to retaining the sleeper services to Scotland, in particular the West Highland service to Fort William, and whether it is aware of any changes proposed to the sleeper services run by First ScotRail.

Tavish Scott: Under the franchise agreement, First ScotRail is required to maintain the current level of sleeper services, including the service to Fort William.

  There are currently no proposals from First ScotRail to change the service level commitment in respect of sleeper services. Any change would have to be approved by the franchise authority.

  First ScotRail is committed to spend £1 million on refurbishing the passenger accommodation within sleeper vehicles as a franchise commitment.

Roads

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the A8 to motorway standard between the A73 and M73.

Tavish Scott: The Partnership Agreement includes a commitment to complete the Scottish motorway network. The construction of a new motorway between the A8 junctions with the M73 and the A73 forms part of this. Draft statutory orders for this new length of motorway will be published early in 2006.

Roads

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18253 by Tavish Scott on 18 August 2005, what the original deadline was for the completion of the roadwork improvements to the Auchenkilns roundabout; whether there will be a delay in reaching this deadline, and, if so, what the reasons are for such a delay.

Tavish Scott: The contract completion date is 26 September 2005. As I said in my reply to you on 18 August 2005, the contractor expects the new junction to be fully open to traffic at Christmas this year. The reason for the delay is due to structural failure.

Roads

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18357 by Tavish Scott on 5 September 2005, what elements of the A6091/A7 Route Action Plan Study have been completed to date.

Tavish Scott: The elements of the A6091/A7 Route Action Plan Study which have been completed to date are the construction of two kilometres of cycleway and the provision of a safety barrier in the Boleside area. The extension of the Galashiels to Selkirk cycleway is currently being progressed for completion this financial year.

Roads

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18357 by Tavish Scott on 5 September 2005, whether it will publish any additional parts of the A6091/A7 Route Action Plan Study beyond the Executive summary referred to in the answer.

Tavish Scott: There are no plans to publish any additional parts of the A6091/A7 Route Action Plan Study. However, the full report, which runs to several volumes and accompanying documents, can be inspected at the Scottish Executive Trunk Roads Network Management Division in Victoria Quay.

Scottish Executive Budget

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated to NHS Health Scotland in each of the next three years and from which Level 3 spending category of the Draft Budget 2006-07.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS Health Scotland has been allocated £17.685 million to date for 2005-06. For 2006-07 and 2007-08 NHS Health Scotland has been notified of indicative increases of 3.6% in each year. The funding for NHS Health Scotland is included in the Total available for NHS and Special Health Boards spending category in table 5.03 of the Draft Budget 2006-07.

Scottish Executive Procurement

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14458 by Mr Tom McCabe on 15 March 2005, what the 40 capital projects referred to in the answer are.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14458 by Mr Tom McCabe on 15 March 2005, which minister is responsible for each of the 40 capital projects referred to in the answer.

Mr Tom McCabe: The 40 major projects referred to in the reply to S2W-14458 are:

  Thirty trunk road construction projects

  One railway project (Airdrie to Bathgate Rail Link)

  Seven IT – enabled business change projects for the Executive (including e-RDM, e-HR, systems integration and server maintenance)

  One building project for Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency at Gartcosh

  One estate development project at Jordanhill School.

  Details of the projects and ministerial responsibility are included in the following table:

  

Programme/Project
Ministerial Responsibility


Trunk Roads
 


A9 Crubenmore Extension
Enterprise And Lifelong Learning


M80 Stepps-Haggs (Phase 1) Low Wood
"


M80 Stepps-Haggs (Phase 2) Auchenkilns -Haggs
"


M80 Stepps-Haggs (Phase 3) Moodiesburn Bypass
"


A876 Kincardine Bridge
"


A90 Balmedie - Tipperty
"


A68 Pathhead –Tynehead Junction
"


A75 Dunragit Re-Alignment
"


A75 Hardgrove - Kinmount
"


A90 Glendoik Interchange
"


A90 Kinfauns Interchange
"


M74 Raith Interchange
"


M8 Baillieston – Newhouse and Associated Development
"


A77 Symington And Bogend Toll
"


A9 Ballinluig Junction
"


A96 Fochabers and Mosstodloch Bypass
"


A90 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
"


M77 Fenwick to Malletsheugh
"


M74 Completion
"


A80 Auchenkilns Junction
"


M8 Whitecart Viaduct
"


A898 Erkine Bridge –All Phases
"


A830arisaig to Loch Nan Uham
"


M8 Kingston Bridge Stobcross On Ramp
"


M74 Raith Bridge
"


A96 Coachford Climbing Lane
"


A9 Helmsdale Phase 1
"


A77 Dutch House to Bog End Toll (Inc Symington)
"


A9 Kincraig to Dalraddy Carriageway Widening
"


A9 Helmsdale Phase 2
"


Rail
 


Airdrie Bathgate Rail Link
Transport


It
 


Systems Integration
Finance and Public Service Reform


Supply Of ICT Contractors
"


Server Maintenance
"


Electronic Records and Document Management
"


Electronic Human Resources
"


SSI Broadband
Enterprise and Lifelong Learning


Scottish Schools Digital Network
Education and Young People


Building
 


Project For Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency At Gartcosh
Justice


Estate Development
 


Project at Jordanhill School
Education and Young People

Scottish Executive Procurement

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14458 by Mr Tom McCabe on 15 March 2005, how capital projects are managed post procurement.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Public Finance Manual sets out details of project management responsibilities for major investment projects. The precise management of capital projects post procurement will vary depending upon the nature of the individual project. For example, each IT capital project will have a project manager responsible for post procurement management whereas trunk road contracts are managed by a hierarchy of professional supervision provided by the contractor and an engineer appointed by the client, all under a quality assurance scheme. Professional engineers within the department provide the highest level of supervision to ensure adherence to contracted price, quality and delivery time.

Scottish Executive Staff

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on hiring temporary staff.

Mr Tom McCabe: Where the need for staffing is short term or for a defined period, the hiring of temporary staff for fixed term assignments is one of the options that may be considered under the Scottish Executive’s Resourcing policy.

  Recruitment of all, including temporary, staff is in accordance with the rules and principles set out in the Civil Service Management Code (CSMC), and in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Code (CSCRC).

Scottish Executive Travel

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial auditing procedures it has in place to monitor foreign trips by officials and ministers.

Mr Tom McCabe: Costs incurred by Scottish Executive ministers and officials on official business abroad and in the UK are claimed in accordance with Scottish Executive rules. Local checking, where appropriate and central selective sample checking of claims takes place prior to claims being reimbursed. As part of their general coverage, Scottish Executive Audit Services periodically review the adequacy and application of the central controls relating to the reimbursement of the Scottish Executive travel and subsistence expenses.

Sexual Health

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many sexually-transmitted disease clinics there are in the NHS Lanarkshire area, giving (a) staffing levels, (b) consulting hours per week and (c) average waiting time for an appointment.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many sexually-transmitted disease clinics there are in each NHS board area, giving (a) staffing levels, (b) consulting hours per week and (c) average waiting time for an appointment and (d) the ratio of consulting hours to head of population.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is not available centrally.

Sexual Health

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been cutbacks in the provision of sexually-transmitted disease clinics within the NHS Lanarkshire area since 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: No.

Speed Cameras

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects the Speed Enforcement Camera System on the A77 to reduce the need for police officers to patrol this stretch of road.

Cathy Jamieson: The Speed Enforcement Camera System (SPECS) does not affect road policing patrols on the road. The system is operated by Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership under the Scottish Safety Camera Programme. At the discretion of the Chief Constable, local police forces can undertake speed enforcement out with the Scottish Safety Camera Programme.

Speed Cameras

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are classes or types of vehicles which cannot be captured by the Speed Enforcement Camera System on the A77.

Cathy Jamieson: The Speed Enforcement Camera System (SPECS) detects all classes of vehicles with front-facing number plates. It does not detect motorcycles. Speeding motorcycles and other vehicles will be detected by normal road policing patrols in marked and unmarked vehicles along the route.

Speed Cameras

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring is in place to judge the effect of the Speed Enforcement Camera System on the A77.

Cathy Jamieson: Speed monitoring is carried out on an on-going basis by the SPECS system and other permanent recording equipment on the road. Personal injury crash and casualty records are also maintained on an on-going basis. All these statistics will be used over time to establish the effect of the system.

Speed Cameras

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to introduce the Speed Enforcement Camera System to more roads in Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson: We are currently not aware of any plans by safety camera partnerships to introduce the Speed Enforcement Camera System (SPECS) to more roads in Scotland. SPECS has been introduced on the A77 from Bogend to Ardwell as a trial and as part of an integrated road safety strategy for the A77 that includes £20 million investment in road engineering improvement, increased road policing activity and an education programme. The first review of the effects of the system will be at the end of twelve months and will inform future decisions on the inclusion of this type of equipment in the Scottish Safety Camera Programme.

Sport

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that existing community sports facilities are maintained to an adequate standard.

Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive is committed to working with its partners in ensuring that we have the sporting infrastructure in place to make Scotland a truly sporting nation. However, it is for the owners or operators of the sports facilities to ensure they are maintained to an adequate standard.

Sport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of people aged (a) 18 and over and (b) under 18 regularly participated in sport or exercise in each year since 1994.

Patricia Ferguson: The information requested is set out in the following table using three year averages and was collected through a household omnibus survey undertaken by TNS every second month in Scotland. The total sample is normally 6,000 adults and 1,500 young people per annum but in 2003-04, as a result of additional funding from the Executive, the survey sample size was increased for this year only to 25,000 and 6,000 respectively. This allowed  sportscotland to gather more detailed information on participation at a local authority area level. In completing the survey, respondents are asked about what they did in the last four weeks. Peak two months data is used to take account of sports where participation tends to be seasonal.

  

Years
18+
8-17


%
%


1994-96
48
*


1995-97
48
*


1996-98
49
*


1997-99
51
*


1998-2000
51
88


1999-2001
51
86


2000-2002
50
85


2001-2003
49
82


2002-2004
48
85



  Note: *Information for the under 18 age group is not available for these years.

Sports

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much Exchequer funding has been allocated to (a) building and (b) refurbishment of sports facilities in each of the last three years, listing the amount given to each facility.

Patricia Ferguson: The information requested is not held centrally. It is for local authorities to determine their level of facility provision according to local needs and priorities and how best to fund facility development which may be under the new prudential regime for local authority capital, utilising the sports facilities and swimming pools element of their total revenue grant or a combination of funding sources. The Executive has committed over £28 million of Exchequer funding to support the development of a range of facilities being developed through the National and Regional Sports Facilities Strategy.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Parliamentary Publications

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether Braille guides to the Parliament building are available and, if so, how these are publicised both externally and in the public foyer.

Andrew Welsh: A range of leaflets explaining Parliament and its role are available in Braille. These are available from the Visitor Information Desk in the Main Hall and can be ordered from our website or from Public Information.

  In addition the text relating to the exhibition in the Main Hall, which offers further information on Parliament, is also available in Braille.

  The Braille leaflets are publicised on the sign rack and on our website. In addition, Visitor Service Officers can make available leaflets and exhibition text on request.

  Our leaflet welcoming people to the Scottish Parliament, states that Guide Dogs are welcome and encourages visitors to contact us in advance with any additional requirements.

Parliamentary Visitors

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether audio handsets are available for visually-impaired people touring the Parliament and, if so, how these are publicised both externally and in the public foyer.

Andrew Welsh: Visitors to the Scottish Parliament can tour the Main Hall area which comprises our exhibition, shop and café on their own. The exhibition and a wide range of leaflets are available for visitors explaining Parliament and its role. Audio tapes and CDs are available for all our main leaflets and the exhibition text. Leaflets themselves carry wording to explain that they are available in audio tape and CD and Visitor Service Officers in the Main Hall can respond to requests. This is also publicised on the website. Visitor services staff will make all reasonable adjustments in advance for visitors with a disability who indicate a specific requirement for their visit.

  On non-business days visitors can also take a paid for guided tour which includes the garden lobby, chamber, committee rooms and Queensberry House foyer. Tour guides are trained to meet the various additional requirements that may be required by a disabled person to allow them to fully participate in the tour. Further disability equality training for the guides is planned in the coming year.

  Visitor services will be reviewing the Guided Tour Programme as part of a wider review of Visitor Services planned for autumn 2005 and this will include considering the range and types of tours on offer.